Facebook Feminism Part 1:
I think I want to keep all of my Facebook Feminism rants/conversations in one place....so I think I want them on Tumblr (since I stopped using LiveJournal FOREVERago).
(Name Removed): I’ll do my best to address the things you posted in the order you posted them. First, I want to say that It’s unfortunate that you think that feminism is for stuck up bitches that deserve more than anyone else. As (Name Removed) has shared, the core ideal of feminism is the fight for *equality*. The hope is that, someday, there would come a day when feminism isn’t necessary because women have achieved full equality with men, though we are not there by a longshot. I will address, primarily, what is happening in the Western world, as well. There are very pressing issues globally, as mentioned in the Laci Greene video, including honor killings, severe mutilations, child brides, child rape, war rape, etc. These are all crimes, for the most part, committed against women abroad, for the sole reason that women are viewed, basically, as less human than men and less deserving of general (human) rights.To address the issues in the United States, however, I will do my best to follow your posts. Unfortunately, people as a whole *not* worrying about female equality has created this unbalanced world we live in. You say that “lust” is an “animalistic urge” and that men will always lust. However, statistically, men don’t think about sex all that *more* often than women, and no more often than they think about food or sleep. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/.../how-often-do-men-and...) Additionally, we have evolved beyond being the animalistic and primal subjects our “forfather” species were. Those “urges” you describe were in place to ensure procreation and the furthering of our species. However, at this point in the modern world, science has advanced and decreased the mortality rate and increased life expectancy, and even given the opportunity for men to become fathers when they otherwise may not have (see IVF and IUIs). Furthermore, saying that men are subject to their animalistic urges does a disservice to men. I feel that men are capable of higher thinking and control of their own actions. This also relies on the the false stereotype that women are less lustful and sexual than men. Your statement that feminists want everyone to think the way they do, I would say, is correct. And the reason for this is that it would be a better world for *everyone* for women to be treated with equality. However, that is not to say that feminists demand that every woman be just as sexually active, pursue only high level and aggressive careers, or to be working mothers. The feminist movement believes that every woman should have the choice and same opportunity as men to make those choices. They believe that being a stay-at-home mom is no less noble, or valid, as a working mom who balances her career and homelife. I would posit that you are working off of old and culturally void social constructs of gender roles. Gender roles dictate that men be gruff, aggressive, and “lustful”, and that women are dainty, passive, and “virginal”. Gender is not a binary, and the traits in which gender is displayed in each individual is definitely not binary. To put it simply, gender is more of a two scale system, masculine and feminine, and each individual falls at a different point on both scales, despite the biological sex in which they were born. (This website:http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/.../breaking-through.../ has a lot of good information on gender/sex/sexuality, if you’re interested in learning more). This is not evidence of the “destruction of the American male”, it is evidence that we have come to realize that men are not actually *only* aggressive “creatures”, but that they are complex human beings with the capability to be emotional just as much, or more than, (some) women. Whereas the reverse is true as well. Women have the same capability to be aggressive as men, or just as lustful as men.The statements you make about “meat” and not dressing like “meat” is exactly what rape culture perpetuates. “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.” (http://www.marshall.edu/wcenter/sexual-assault/rape-culture/) Women should be free to dress in whatever manner they feel comfortable, and the fact that clothing that shows cleavage or legs is considered “revealing” is proof of the over-sexualization of women’s bodies. This is a part of what needs to change. Additionally, the belief that women only get raped *because* they are wearing revealing clothing needs to be changed. 73% of sexual assaults are committed by non-strangers (https://www.rainn.org/.../statis.../sexual-assault-offenders). What that says to me is that it has very little to do with what a person happens to be wearing. Additionally, rape culture is perpetuated in the way even girls think about rape. Although this is anecdotal evidence, it speaks volumes to how girls think about themselves and the consensual sexual experiences they’re entitled to:http://www.fearus.org/#sthash.M28ySMcx.dpbs.Furthermore, a woman’s attire should have no effect on how she is treated in the outside world. If a woman is wearing a short skirt and a tank top, maybe she’s *hot* (because it’s 90 freaking degrees in Washington and we are not built for this weather!!). Wearing any sort of clothing is NOT an invitation for men to make comments about her body (catcalling), nor assume that she ‘owes’ anybody a date or a conversation. When women don’t engage in catcalling, or worse, rebuke the individual, they are called “bitches” or “sluts”, or worse: suffer physical violence. All for exercising their right to not only wear what they want, but also to their bodily autonomy. Women owe men nothing, and women owe other women nothing. Essentially: People owe other People nothing.If you have made it through this post, congratulations! You are (hopefully) more educated on what feminism actually *is* versus how it is portrayed in media, or from other political outlets. I will say, however, that this post does not even begin to address the socio-economic disadvantages and issues women face in the States. That is another huge can of worms, but as I said, I only wanted to address the statements in your post, and you never tread in that territory, so, for the sake of brevity, neither did I. Also, I can't find my glasses, so if there are a few errors, my apologies, because I couldn't see them!!